"Poor" revisited.

MollyB   Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:07 am GMT
Re-wording my "poor" thread: what does the word "poor" mean to you when used to talk about a person's economic situation? Also, how is that word used to refer a person's economic situation in your country?
Skippy   Fri Apr 11, 2008 2:27 pm GMT
Do you mean at what yearly salary are they considered poor or do you want syllables?
MollyB   Fri Apr 11, 2008 3:45 pm GMT
Do you mean at what yearly salary are they considered poor or do you want syllables?

I mean: what is your definition of poor and does it tie in with the definition of poor that your countrymen/women use?
Guest   Fri Apr 11, 2008 4:49 pm GMT
I have been married for 12 years and I have got no kids. So yeah, I'm poor! BTW, I have cars from Lexus to Mercedes to Morano. I am financially rich but I consider myself a poor soul.

<<I mean: what is your definition of poor and does it tie in with the definition of poor that your countrymen/women use? >>

My above definition fits well with the definition of poor that my countrymen/women use.
Skippy   Fri Apr 11, 2008 6:21 pm GMT
There's "poor" in the sense of "unfortunate." For example, "Poor Robert, nobody pays any attention to him" or the sarcastic sense "Everybody loves Raymond; poor Raymond..."

There's also "poor" in the sense of lacking in material goods. If you're trying to quantify this, then many countries use the "poverty line," or "poverty threshold." If you're judging by "world poverty" or actual poverty (in a sense), the US, Canada, all of Europe (including former Soviet Bloc countries) all have "less than 2% or no data." When judging by national poverty or relative poverty (the percent living below what their nation considers poverty), the US, Mexico, Canada, and all of Western Europe (for which there is data) is 10-20%.

The Federal Register in the US has the poverty line at $10,400 a year for one person, $14,000 for two, $17,600 for three... it goes on up to 8 and then it's $3,600 for every additional person.

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html
Earle   Fri Apr 11, 2008 6:34 pm GMT
In the American South (pardon, Skippy, it might not apply to the SW, or you may not have had as many rural relatives), it has yet another meaning - slender or skinny. Anyone using it in this sense would pronounce it "pore." To describe anyone really, really thin, one of two expressions was used: "Skinny as a rail," or "Poor (pore) as a snake."
Skippy   Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:41 pm GMT
I've actually never heard that usage before. Interesting though.
Guest   Sat Apr 12, 2008 8:03 am GMT
Seems some of you missed this:

"when used to talk about a person's economic situation"
Earle   Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:28 pm GMT
Reprimand duly noted... ;)